Under normal circumstances, no one should've approached Gabriel. Not only was he weak—looking like he would be knocked off his feet by a strong gust of wind—but he was also untidy and reeked terribly.
No sane person would recruit someone as unremarkable as him to their team.
"Well." Gabriel's eyes gleamed, the figures of an elegant couple reflecting in his blue irises. The male, Darius, continued to stare at him with a smile, while the female, Vera, seemed distant and aloof as ever, disgust evident in her eyes.
These two were anything but sane, which also made a lot of sense. After all, a predator didn't pity its prey.
Despite knowing their reasons for approaching him, Gabriel's expression didn't falter. He held Martin's gaze and said in a deep, firm voice, "Fine, but I get to keep any monster cores or drops from the monsters I kill."
"How delusional. A stupid weakling like you dares to make rules." The disgust in Vera's eyes grew, and she muttered in a low voice brimming with an unhealthy dose of disdain.
Gabriel heard the mumble but chose not to respond or even acknowledge her existence by sparing her a second glance.
Darius smiled wryly, an apologetic expression spreading across his handsome features. "Sorry about my partner. She can be a bit harsh sometimes. Anyway, we accept. In fact, we'll give you five percent of our total gains as well."
The smile never left his face as he watched Gabriel with an expectant gleam. He expected the latter to be excited—most others always reacted like that—but Gabriel's expression remained unreadable.
This one... he's different, Darius thought with a neutral expression, his eyes twinkling with dark excitement.
---
Some time later, after making the deal, they left the guild. As soon as they were out of earshot, a whisper spread through the hall.
"Another one," a burly man shook his head. "Well, he'll be gone sooner or later with a weak body like that."
"He should've used that registration fee to buy a sumptuous meal instead," another commented. With a dry chuckle, he added, "At least he wouldn't be hungry in the afterlife."
---
Gabriel followed the couple to the car park of the Adventurer's Guild, located several feet underground, beneath the monstrous structure.
Their short journey came to a halt in front of a luxurious grey Kesla Truck, reinforced with the hides and body parts of a Muttaed Beast. Of course, the manufacturers had expertly integrated the materials into the design, ensuring the vehicle looked no different from any standard automobile.
Ah, no wonder the newbie players easily fall victim, Gabriel thought, staring at the car, which cost approximately $500,000–$600,000.
However, despite the cost, he wasn't impressed or shocked. After all, he knew these two came from wealthy, powerful backgrounds.
Many of the new players have never even entered a car as luxurious as this in real life. It makes sense for them to be easily charmed.
Some time later, they entered the car. The engine roared to life. The sound might've seemed like noise to some, but for car enthusiasts, it was heavenly.
As they drove through Stellar, Gabriel's gaze flickered over the cityscape, taking in the neon-lit skyscrapers, floating billboards, and the sea of pedestrians that moved like clockwork.
Stellar City was one of the ten walled cities of the Valerian Kingdom, also known as one of the starting areas for players who selected the human race in the game Realm of Ascendency.
In his previous life, Gabriel hadn't spawned in the capital. Like all newbie players, he had started in a beginner village, where everyone was required to reach level 10 before leaving.
This time, however, he spawned in a mega city—not just any city, but the capital, where major characters resided. Though the game hadn't launched yet, spawning in Stellar City automatically gave him an edge.
The beginner villages were filled with restrictions—ranging from quests and skills to the types of weak monsters one could encounter.
The first round of beta testers will log in some months from now, before the game becomes available to the general public, he mused.
His main objective now was to increase his level and strength by utilizing his talents as much as possible.
After that, I'll head to the newbie village... there's something I need to fix there. I just hope the normal level restrictions that apply to other players will be ineffective against me now that I'm a character in the game.
He took all of this in with a detached gaze.
"You seem quiet," Darius commented from the front seat, glancing through the rearview mirror. "Excited for your first hunt?"
Gabriel didn't reply, only giving a small nod.
Next to him, Vera scoffed. "He's probably too scared to speak."
He shifted slightly, turning his gaze toward her. His blue eyes reflected nothing—no fear, no anxiety, just cold calculation.
"I'll survive," he said simply, showing he had lost all interest in the conversation.
His lack of reaction seemed to irritate her further, but Darius only chuckled. "That's the spirit," he said, his tone light, though Gabriel could sense the predatory undertone beneath it.
The car veered onto a restricted road leading toward one of the Exit Gates. Unlike the well-lit, bustling inner city, this area was darker, filled with fewer buildings and more automated checkpoints. Only registered adventurers could pass through.
As they approached the massive steel gate, Gabriel leaned forward slightly, catching a glimpse of the towering walls up close. Engraved with defensive enchantments and reinforced with the strongest alloy available, these barriers were all that separated the city from the ravenous beasts.
A low rumble echoed as the gate mechanisms activated, shifting and unlocking with a series of heavy metallic clicks. The guards stationed at the outpost gave the couple a casual nod before allowing them through.
"You might not know this since it's your first time, so let me enlighten you," Darius said as they parked beside several other vehicles that seemed to belong to adventurers.
The trio stepped out and moved away from the wall.
It wasn't actually Gabriel's first time, but he decided to listen anyway.
"There are three zones out here in the wild. We are currently in the safe zone, and it'll be a few miles before we start encountering monsters. Following the safe zone is the green zone, which is about a mile long from the city walls. Here, it's highly unlikely we'll encounter monsters.
"Past the green zone, we have the red zones, also known as the Lost Lands. That's where we'll hunt."
---
Some time later, immediately after crossing the green zone, they encountered their first beasts.
It was a group of mutated bees, each the size of a two-month-old baby. Their bodies, once golden, were now covered in obsidian black chitin, with pulsing golden veins along their thoraxes.
"Stay back. We'll handle this!" Darius smiled as a spear appeared in his grasp. Meanwhile, a pair of daggers appeared in Vera's hands, their cold blades catching the light of the sun. The two began to step forward.
When they got within ten meters, the bees' antennae twitched. Those golden eyes locked onto the approaching enemies—and with a burst of speed, they lunged.
Darius charged and thrust his spear forward, effortlessly piercing the underbelly of one bee. He didn't waste time; he shook it off his spear and attacked another. Vera also cut down two that tried to flank her.
Gabriel's eyes gleamed as he observed. Their battle style was well-synchronized, and they covered for each other perfectly. It was clear they had hunted together for a long time.
While they were engrossed in the fight, he approached the corpse of one. As soon as he was within arm's reach, the system chimed, and a translucent screen flickered to life before him:
[Ding! Would you like to extract the target – Lv2 Mutated Voidsting Bee? | Cost: 2 EP]
* * *